LORs...

[drumming207]

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Well, I have been out of school for ~two years now. Is it a good idea to use old letters of rec that are stellar?

I know most people will tell me to add a new LOR--is it ok to add a LOR from a job outside the realm of medicine/research positions?

Thanks.😀

 

[Senor.Frog]

I think it would probably be o.k. to use letters that are 1 year old, but 2, thats sorta pushing it.

For me, I had 3 old LORs (2003) and 3 new LORs (2004). I got one LOR from my UG O-chem professor, but the rest are from physicians and one PhD.

As for LORs from people outside of medicine/research, I think it would help, especially if its from your boss at a fulltime job. Anyhows, its really hard to tell you exactly what you should do because all schools vary a tad bit on LORs guidelines. Either look on their website, email them, or call them and you'll get a definitive answer. Good luck.

Oh, by the way, I graduated from UG in 2000, so some schools I contacted told me that for me, UG LORs would not be needed since I've been out of school for sooo long, specifically, this is what NYMC told me via email.

 

[r_salis]

I had been out of school for ~12 years, so along with LORs from my postbac instructors, I had two letters from managers I had at my (full-time) job. I sent them in *addition* to the faculty letters, though.

 

[Drumming Coward]

Well, I have been out of school for ~two years now. Is it a good idea to use old letters of rec that are stellar?

I know most people will tell me to add a new LOR--is it ok to add a LOR from a job outside the realm of medicine/research positions?

Thanks.😀

Where are you located now? I'm getting closer.

 

[teacherman84]

I got my undergrad more recent than 12 years. My BS was in secondary education in 2006...I completed none of my prereqs except English during that time. I began the rest of the prereqs in the spring of 08 after some work in a free clinic convinced my I wanted to switch to medicine. The school I am at taking chem, ochem, phy, bio and A&P doesnt have a pre-med committee to write letters. so my question...should I get letters from all my science profs here and use those in addition to my clinical LORs or should I get in touch with some profs from undergrad, though they didnt teach any of the prereqs, and use some of those? Any thoughts? Should I use more letters from clinical supervisors and MD's I am shadowing on a regular basis or the profs who might not know me as well.
Thanks

 

[student1799]

I got my undergrad more recent than 12 years. My BS was in secondary education in 2006...I completed none of my prereqs except English during that time. I began the rest of the prereqs in the spring of 08 after some work in a free clinic convinced my I wanted to switch to medicine. The school I am at taking chem, ochem, phy, bio and A&P doesnt have a pre-med committee to write letters. so my question...should I get letters from all my science profs here and use those in addition to my clinical LORs or should I get in touch with some profs from undergrad, though they didnt teach any of the prereqs, and use some of those? Any thoughts? Should I use more letters from clinical supervisors and MD's I am shadowing on a regular basis or the profs who might not know me as well.
Thanks

Definitely get letters from your postbacc profs, because the med schools want to know about your performance as a science student, and they are the only ones who can comment about that. You should also get one or two letters from your old undergrad profs, because many schools require a non-science faculty recommendation. ABSOLUTELY get letters from clinical supervisors, but I don't think letters from MD's you've shadowed are worth very much. (That's the impression I get from adcoms who've posted on SDN.)

 

[dragonfly99]

medicine doctor here

here is what I would do

get 2 letters from science professors who have taught you recently, preferably in premed prerequisite courses (but other upper level biology or biochem, etc. would be fine too). First you want to make sure they will write you a good letter (i.e. they like you); otherwise it's no good. Second priority if you have a choice of who to get to write the LOR's, pick the people who have written these type letters before, and/or who seem like they would be a good writer (i.e. some science profs are NOT good writers, and if they have few premeds at their school then some may not know how to write a good letter for a med school admissions committee).

get one other letter from a nonscience professor (optional). Any professor from any class, as long as he/she loved you.

Get at least 1 letter from a physician if you can. Somebody that you've shadowed once or twice isn't likely to write a great letter, but just pick the best person you can find. If he doesn't know you well, but seems receptive to doing the letter, give him your CV, personal statement, etc. to help him.

 

[teacherman84]

I have heard dont bother with LOR's from shadowing physicians...but what if you spend a lot of time...Im talking once a week or at least every other week with this person, both in clinic and OR. I have two physicians I have worked extensively with at a free clinic as well but I figure if I am spending so much time with this guy it cant hurt...he also went to the school that is my first choice for what thats worth.

 

[student1799]

I have heard dont bother with LOR's from shadowing physicians...but what if you spend a lot of time...Im talking once a week or at least every other week with this person, both in clinic and OR. I have two physicians I have worked extensively with at a free clinic as well but I figure if I am spending so much time with this guy it cant hurt...he also went to the school that is my first choice for what thats worth.

If he went to your first choice school, then go for it--I'm sure it couldn't hurt. I think the comments about shadowing LORs (which I've obviously heard too) are supposed to convey that it's really best to have a letter from an MD you've actually WORKED with, because that MD has a genuine working relationship with you. Most shadow gigs, on the other hand, don't last long enough for the MD to really get to know you that well. But if he does know you decently well, and you already have a quality MD letter from the clinic, this would be icing on the cake.

 

[NTF]

I think old LORs are fine as long as you balance them (meaning at least half of you LORs are recent.) with new ones.

I had 6 letters as a part of my pre-health committee letter. 2 from 2000 and 4 from 2007. I would try to make sure at least two of your academic/medical-related letters are recent.